related stories

Lees ton sinks Steelbacks

Yorkshire Vikings enjoyed a comfortable evening at Wantage Road as they hammered Northamptonshire Steelbacks by six wickets in the Royal London One-Day Cup.

In a completely one-sided affair, the visitors kept the Steelbacks to a below-par total and then made short work of their reply, despite losing a handful of late wickets, as Adam Lyth and Alex Lees ran amok.

The hosts' 209 for seven was overhauled in 34 overs as Lees reeled off his maiden list A century, which highlighted his side's dominance.

He made 102 and Lyth 84 as Yorkshire raced to 213 for four.

In a contest reduced to 38 overs per side because of a late start, the hosts, having been put in on a pitch with a healthy tinge of green, made a poor start as Stephen Peters edged his first ball from Tim Bresnan behind.

Kyle Coetzer was put down at second slip off the next delivery, but he did not last long as Jack Brooks found his inside edge.

There was enough movement to hint at more inroads being made, but Richard Levi and Adam Rossington combined tidily to prevent further loss.

The score had moved on to 90 before Levi was caught at the wicket off Steven Patterson, but Rossington, who continued to build on the strong impression made since arriving on loan from Middlesex, went on to a 55-ball half-century and, alongside Ben Duckett, laid a solid platform.

But the pair departed in quick succession, Patterson for 75 and Duckett 45, and and it led to the brake being applied.

Richard Pyrah was able to pick up some cheap wickets and, with only 50 scored from the final 10 overs of the innings, the final tally of 209 for seven looked a touch on the light side.

Having shared an opening partnership of 375 on the same ground when the two sides met in the County Championship back in May, Lyth and Lees tucked in again and, when the former reached a run-a-ball 50 in the 16th over, they had ticked off 90.

Lees' own half-century, scored from 53 deliveries, arrived shortly after and he upped the pace to such an extent that he moved from 35 to 85 in the time his partner had advanced from 50 to 55.

It was dispiriting stuff for the hosts, whose weakened attack were being treated with disdain and, although Lees fell shortly after he made it to three figures and three more wickets, including that of Lyth, fell in a few minutes, the end was not long in coming.